Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Role of Government

"What would you think of a government that engaged in this list of tyrannical activities: tortured children for lying; designed its prison specifically to suck all life and hope out of the inmates; placed citizens in that prison without a hearing; ordered the death penalty without a trial; allowed the powerful, rich or famous to control policy; selectively prosecuted crimes (the powerful go unpunished and the unpopular face trumped-up charges); conducted criminal trials without defense counsel; used truth serum to force confessions; maintained constant surveillance over all citizens; offered no elections and no democratic lawmaking process; and controlled the press?

"You might assume that the above list is the work of some despotic central African nation, but it is actually the product of the Ministry of Magic, the magician's government in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.How dare that young whippersnapper succeed on his own?!! Not only on his own, but in spite of all the obstacles the government/Ministry of Magic could find to put in his way!"

I have thought about this as I have read these novels. I am fairly libertarian myself; I primarily think the government should be as small as possible and should limit us only to the degree necessary to protect others from our decisions. If some damn fool want to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, let him. Just don't take from me, at the point of a gun, my money to pay his medical bills.

Why the heck should my tax dollars pay for someone else's abortion, rehab treatment or to fix him up after a wreck while DUI?